These earphones feature an inline active noise reduction (ANR) module, which helps eliminate up to 99% of external noise. The ANR module is powered by a single AAA alkaline battery (included), which can provide up to 50 hours of active noise reduction. Note that use of the ANR function is optional; the earphones can be used without installing a battery or powering on the ANR module. When used without the ANR function, these earphone provide up to 22dB passive noise reduction.

The earphones employ 9mm neodymium magnets and an impedance of 32 ohms. They have a frequency response of 20Hz ~ 20KHz, with less than 1% total harmonic distortion (94dB SPL @ 1KHz).

A second inline module functions as an inline control for the music player. You can control the volume, pause/resume playback, and skip tracks forward or backward on Apple iPod and iPhone devices, while Android devices are limited to the pause/resume playback function. The inline control is also used to answer and drop incoming phone calls with a single press of the center button on the inline control module, for both Apple and Android devices.

The earphones come with a dual stereo adapter plug, for use on commercial airline flights, and a single plug stereo, for adapting the TRRS plug to a standard stereo TRS plug for use with non-Apple devices.

First of all, calibrate you expectations: noise cancelling technology is a long way from perfect, no matter what you spend. If you expect to flip the switch and be bathed in perfect silence you will be disappointed. What it does is significantly cut the volume of low and mid sounds.

My initial test involved mowing my lawn, and I can still hear the lawn mower (though quieter), still hear cars driving past (just the tire noise, the engine noise is virtually gone), etc... but now I can listen to podcasts or music at a comfortable volume, rather than cranking it up to uncomfortable levels to drown out the racket. I imagine it will be much the same for flying: it won't fix the sound of the crying child (seriously folks, where does your toddler need to go?) but it will significantly cut the engine noise, which is worth it to me.

My complaints are mostly about form factor... the belt clip is difficult to put on, but doesn't hold very well, the cord is just a touch short for a tall guy, the instructions on opening the battery compartment are vague at best when you've never done it... Also, I wonder whether I shouldn't have opted for the headphones over the earbuds.

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Rating: (7 out of 10)

Reviewer: Jeff from Portland, ME

3/25/2015 8:14:14 AM

Great for listening to music.

Pros: These are very comfortable and have excellent sound when turned on.

Cons: The noise canceling doesn't work very well and the volume is the only thing this works on the controller.

Great sounding headphones. I'm not sure that I would recommend them though.

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Rating: (10 out of 10)

Reviewer: Todd from Cupertino, CA

3/16/2015 12:28:11 AM

Great at cancelling low-frequency noise

Pros: - Cancel airplane engine noise well
- Comfortable fit in ear
- Earbuds block some noise even without noise cancellation active
- Lasts a very long time on a single battery

Cons: - Battery pack is a bit awkward, but is no different than on similar headsets

These work very well to block low frequency noise. I used them in both directions on a 10-hour international flight, and they blocked the airplane engine noise very well. They are very comfortable in my ears, and they isolate noise reasonably well even without the noise cancellation activated. The location and weight of the battery pack is a bit annoying, but I found the same to be true with several other noise-cancelling earbuds. I definitely recommend these, and I would buy them again.

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Rating: (7 out of 10)

Reviewer: Anonymous from Buffalo Grove, IL

3/14/2015 1:10:05 PM

Good for listening, not so much for talking

Pros: Noise cancellation
Ear fit
Sound quality

Cons: Can't hear yourself through the mic

Good headphones, great for airplane listening. Comfortable to wear, and noise canceling is pretty effective.

However, with iPhone making phone calls, you cannot hear your own voice in the headphones via the mic input, while others can hear you fine. It's a little disconcerting, because the earbuds do a pretty good job at sound isolating.

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Rating: (10 out of 10)

Reviewer: Steve from Chevy Chase, MD

2/2/2015 10:25:54 AM

Great ear buds, poor clip

Pros: Generally well made. Comfortable fit, decent noise cancelling, nice case. Battery seems to last a long time

Cons: The clip on the case containing the battery and electronics is weak and is easily bent out of shape. Does not maintain its "spring." I have used two pairs of pliers to bend it back to a position where it will maintain its grasp but it soon bends back. It clearly needs a better quality of spring steel

These are generally quite nice headphones with decent noise cancelling at a price substantially less than some of the big brands. If Monoprice upgraded the spring steel on the clip, it would be no-brainer.

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